Interfaith summit in Davie shows support for Israel

More than 1,700 people turned out in a show of solidarity for the first South Florida Summit for Israel at Nova Southeastern University in Davie.

The event, presented by the Jewish Federation of Broward County and the Broward Pastors Network, united people of Jewish and Christian faiths to stress their support for Israel.

"I have not heard that an event of this kind has happened anywhere else," said Eric Stillman, the federation's president and CEO. "Given the fact that the campaign to delegitimize Israel is so strong, we felt it was very important to organize this event as a way to defend and protect Israel in this regard. This is a movement that continues to get bigger and gain momentum."

Among the dignitaries to speak during the proceedings were U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ted Deutch and Mario Diaz-Balart, as well as retired Rep. Dave Weldon.

The keynote speaker was Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon, who spoke about the importance of this event and of recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.

Bernie Friedman, a lawyer with strong ties to the local Jewish community, said the event was a big success.

"There was a deep emotional commitment toward the survival of Israel and defending of Israel," he said. "It was packed with many different faces. It was heartwarming and very poignant to see children and adults from different religions, ethnicities and cultures come together."

The summit took five months of planning with about 200 volunteers working in concert. Friedman helped secure corporate sponsors, and financial sponsors helped defray the event's costs.